Higher-order corrections to the pi criterion for the periodic operation of chemical reactors

The present work develops a method to determine higher-order corrections to the pi criterion, derived from basic results of Center Manifold theory. The proposed method is based on solving the Center Manifold PDE via power series. The advantage of the proposed approach is the improvement of the accuracy of the pi criterion in predicting performance under larger amplitudes. The proposed method is applied to a continuous stirred tank reactor, where the yield of the desired product must be maximized.